Documented by the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma Date of interview 2 January 2004 Name: Han Win Aung Age: 15 years Race and religion: Karen, Buddhist Education: Grade 1 Address: xxxx village, Einmeh township, Irrawaddy division Army No. : Ta/ 275864 Battalion : Light Infantry Battalion No. 707, Military Operation Command No. 4 I attended only grade one and then left school to help my elder sister. I took care of her six cows. In 2002, before the Water Festival (around April), the cows ate beans from other farmers' plantation fields. For that event, my sister scolded me, as she had to meet village authority, and I was unhappy and returned to my parents' home. On the way, I met a group of soldiers, they asked me whether I would like to be a soldier. The offer included a 10,000 Kyat reward, as soon as I signed the bond. They explained there was no need to worry about food and clothing and that I would have an opportunity to continue education. I joined them instead of returning home. I was sent to the Infantry Battalion No. 63 (IB. 63) in Einmeh town. There, my hair was cut. I had a meal and then I was sent to a room where there were six children. Five of them were about 9 years old. They said that sergeants had adopted them. When I entered that room, the door was locked. Soldiers from Einmeh then shouted that they were returning and told me to stay with the sergeants, who would provide meals. On the next day, the eldest of the children's group ( about 14 years old called Wai Pyo Min) and I were taken to Rangoon. We arrived at No. 6 Training Centre of the Rangoon Command and there we were given a medical checkup immediately. Then I was told I passed the medical test and soldiers asked my parents' names, filled in the papers and I was asked to sign the bond. No money was given. During the training period, the food was very bad, rice was mostly half cooked, curry was green vegetables with salt. When sergeants heard about complaints of bad meals by trainees, they added a plateful of sand on the rice we were to eat, saying we had to be familiar with bad food. Before each meal, we had to shout the four pledges of soldiers. We got 5 minutes time for having meals. Sometimes, we could not finish meals because of the calling whistles. Beating and kicking us was usual at the training centre. There was not much practice with arms, but a lot of fatigue which was to the clean animal farms of the officers. During the training period, we were sent to Thar Baung, Irrawaddy division, for a month to dig fish ponds, to grow cashew nut plants, to cut down bamboo and to clear the ground. There everyone was exhausted with work and we were neither paid for our work nor given our salaries. The food provided was very bad and for some meals, we had to have without rice. Thus, about 50 trainees managed to escape from that farm. Sergeant Soe Lwin, in-charge of the trainees, was forced to resign because of too many run-away trainees. After the training period, I and four others were sent to the Military Operation Command No. 4. The other four are also the same age as me, and their names are Myo Maung Maung, Than Myo Oo, Myo Khant and Kyaw Myo Lwin. Then we were sent to the Light Infantry Battalion No. 707(LIB 707) where I received my first salary, 4000 kyats . There was deduction, 1000 kyats for fund of something, and 1000 kyats for food, so I actually received 2000 kyats. On next morning parade, we new soldiers were slapped by the company commander as we had no boots, belts and equipment. He said we had salaries, and we should buy necessary equipment. I spent over a month at the LIB 707 and there, I had to grow cashew nuts, and to work in rice fields. Meals were a bit better compared with the training camp. Then, my company (4) led by captain Ling Aung Soe was ordered to go to the frontline in Karen state, Anawtayar hill camp. We stayed there for about a month. The next frontline experience was in Pine Kyone area, Karen state, to patrol the region for about a month. In the beginning of September 2003, our battalion was ordered to go frontline again, Maw Pah Thoo, Karen state. Our battalion had to reinforce the attack battalions against the Karen rebels. We were there for three months. I was with the LIB 707, column (2) which brought 50 prisoner porters to carry food supplies and ammunitions. The porters were badly treated. If they could not walk with loads, soldiers usually kicked with boots or beat with bamboo sticks or rifle butts. Many porters managed to escape. Many of them died too. I knew eight casualties of prisoner porters. - Two porters stepped on a landmine just outside of the strategic command compound. - Two more porters stepped on a landmine between the DKBA camp and strategic command base. - One porter was killed by an explosion as he tried to set a fire for cooking food on a landmine planted area at Thet Karya camp. - A porter called U Tin Oo (about 30 years old) suffered malaria and could not carry his load and then lance corporal Sein Kyaing hit his head with a rifle butt and threw him from a cliff. - A 50 year old porter called Pahtee was too exhausted and fell down several times on the way to the strategic hill. Then private Kaung Myat Thu grabbed him and kicked him from a cliff. - A rapist prisoner from Myaung Mya prison, about 20 years old, and native of Einmeh/Thone Kwa area, was beaten to death near the gate of the strategic command. He was too exhausted and fell down again and again and at last, corporal Aung Naing said ' You can eat our food but you could not carry.' And he hit his rifle butt on his head to death. His body was thrown away. A dead prisoner porter found in Maw Pah Thoo area in October 2003. After spending three months at Maw Pah Thoo area, our column got permission to retreat and then moved to Tadar Kyo, Kawkareik township. The column set up a check point and demanded money from vehicles passing by. The check point was located along the Myawaddy-Paan road, so we received about 40,000 kyats a day. Brand new motorcycles (smuggled from Thailand) were charged the highest rate. Sergeants said we were allowed to set up a check point for a month and then would return to the HQ to rest for two years. One night, five days before our departure to the headquarters, I suffered malaria. But I was forced to serve as a sentry by corporal Hla Shein. He beat my head two times with a torch too. Then I decided to flee. I took a dagger and left from the camp. My fever was not getting better. I survived on banana, banana trunk and water for ten days. While I could walk, I tried for a while. I could only cry and pray to Buddha for ten days. At last, I found a hut and slept there. Then a farmer arrived and took me to his village. About four days later, a Karen soldier met me and he took my picture with a camera. He then asked whether I wanted to meet his officer or not. Then I was taken to the officer and he asked my story. He gave me 2,000 kyats and told me to contact him if I needed a hand or wanted to continue education. I stayed with the farmer's family in that village for a month. Later I requested the farmer to send me to the Karen officer. Both he and the family tried to persuade me not to go. But I wanted to study and at last I was sent to the border area by the officer. Commentary 1. Under the Burmese Defence Services Act and the War Office Council instruction 13/73 of 1974, a person cannot enlist in the armed forces until he has attained the age of 18. Forced conscription in any form is strictly prohibited. However, in reality, there are at least 50,000 child soldiers in the SPDC's army. The responsible officers are taking no action, and there are no inspections or restrictions. 2. The reward system for recruitment: If a soldier recruits a new soldier, he is rewarded with 100 kg of rice, a bottle of army rum and 500 kyats. So, soldiers usually try to get depressed children, unsettled youths and even criminals to join. According to the recent army regulations, if a soldier wants to get a medical pension, he has to find 5 recruits to substitute him. Otherwise, his application will remain pending. 3. Conditions of the child soldiers There is no system to educate child soldiers or to allocate light and less dangerous duties for them. The child soldiers are the lowest ranks in the army and they suffer the most because of the corrupted system, lack of sufficient food or a decent income, and even more, they are occasionally ordered to serve dangerous duties. (Previously, FTUB researchers interviewed a child soldier who still has nightmares of his dead colleague. The unit was ambushed, his friend died and he was ordered to go and take his friend's rifle by senior soldiers. He did it, and he also grabbed his friend's body but sergeants ordered him to leave the body. In his dream, his friend asked him to bury the body.) According to a Human Rights Watch report, 20 percent or more of active duty soldiers in Burma may be children under the age of 18. It estimated that children may account for 35 to 45 percent of new recruits into the national army, and 70,000 or more of the estimated 350,000 soldiers. Children, some as young as eleven, were forcibly recruited, brutally treated during training, used in forced labour by the army and forced to participate in armed conflict. Children were also used to commit human rights abuses against civilians and other child recruits. The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's report to the Security council and the General Assembly states that in Burma children continue to be forcibly recruited by government armed forces and armed groups. Mr Annan recommended that the UN Security Council consider sanctions on parties that recruit and exploit child soldiers, which includes the military regime ruling Burma. [Source: FTUB] __________